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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

UPDATE (3/1/10 @ 4:44 PM): Whole Foods has posted a statement (see comments section below) that it is "transitioning back to the Gluten Free Pantry mixes that were moved out to make room for the 365 versions." The statement does not address the question of whether the Gluten Free Pantry mix formulations are the same as those used for the 365 products._________________________

Whole Foods Market has decided to discontinue its branded gluten-free baking mixes due to "lack of interest." Back in 2007, the market introduced their own line of mixes - not to be confused with the Gluten Free Bakehouse ready-made baked goods. The mixes for pizzas, breads, cakes, brownies and the like were part of the store's 365 Everyday Value line. The products initially were priced slightly less than the comparable Gluten-Free Pantry mixes the house brand largely replaced. The ingredient labels for the Whole Foods products mimicked those of Gluten-Free Pantry's, although the actual manufacturer of the store-labeled versions was never confirmed by either company.

According to a statement from Whole Foods:

The 365 Gluten Free Baking Mixes have been discontinued and are no longer available through any other outlets. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. There are many reasons that go into the decision to discontinue a product. Hundreds of new products are presented to us every day; therefore, the mix of products in each category is continually evolving. We evaluate attributes like value, quality, taste and convenience when we make the decision to accept or discontinue a product. Most often a product is discontinued to make room for a new product that offers a better combination of these attributes, or because there is a lack of interest in the product.

A Whole Foods customer service representative confirmed in an e-mail that customers' lack of interest in the products led to the decision to end distribution. Interestingly, stores are being encouraged to stock Gluten-Free Pantry mixes as a replacement when the existing inventory of store-brand products runs out.

33 comments:

What!? They are the only mix with decent brownies and pizza crusts! I don't like the GFP mixes grr.. to bad the nearest WF is 170 miles away or else I would run down there and stock up, I'm guessing they will all be gone by the time we get down there next month:(

Further proof WF really doesn't "get it" - THESE MIXES ARE FOR A MEDICAL NEED, not just a flavor of the week. I've often gotten really bad info from WF staff who claimed to know GF (several times I've been told spelt or couscous was GF - NOT.). I think the chain is going gourmet instead of healthy/organic in the future.

I think it's interesting that they are discontinuing their tasty mixes when it's their GF Bakehouse Goods that don't taste good. I can make a bread using their mix that will stand up in normalcy to regular bread, not only in it's appearance but it's texture and flavor. Their GF Bakehouse bread doesn't rise and tastes cardboardy. Why nix the good thing? My children prefer the WF gf brand mixes to Gluten Free Pantry, as do I. Although I have enjoyed paying a couple of dollars less for the WF brand (as opposed to GF Pantry),I would gladly pay the extra $$ if they would continue stocking it. It's a sad day:(

When these mixes came out, I went to a WF gf tour here and they served us waxy brownies (made with bean flour) instead of using their own brownie mix. Newly dx'd people were in tears over how bad they were (newly dx'd). I promoted the event to my dinner club members as a favor to WF but I had to send out an apology to my members after. I agree with some of the above comments - this chain simply does not get it and that's why I rarely shop there these days.

My son said that this bread tasted better than any of the myriad of mixes I have ever made. It has been a staple for him since it was introduced. Shame on you Whole Foods for not caring about the consumer with a disease that precludes them from eating gluten.

I agree completely with the comments made here. I too have only been eating gluten free for a little over a year now, and it has taken me quite a while of tasting and experimenting to finally find something that won't cause me headaches and actually tastes good too! My husband goes out of his way to go to WF to buy the 365 brand gf bread and muffin mixes for me. Most of the time they are sold out! How can that be if there is no interest in that product. If we find it on the shelf when we shop at wf, we buy all we can. Now I've got to start the process of finding something new that i can tolerate and still enjoy. What a shame....

I'm not sure who's doing the market research at Whole Foods. On TWO separate occasions while they were still carrying the products, two other customers and I WAITED while an employee went to the back to bring out more of the 365 Everyday Value cornbread mix. That stuff was flying off the shelves up here all the time. No other cornbread mix that they have in the store is nearly as good. If the product was always clogging up shelves, that would be one thing, but in our store here, that stuff was flying off the shelves....

While I am sad to see these products go off the shelves, it doesn't impact me that hugely as the closest WF is 120 miles one way away. I can get the Bob's Red Mill mixes and I enjoy most of them. Just an idea for those of you looking for replacements.

Don't give up hope. Go to other outlets and advertise the fact that there is a growing need for GF foods. In the NC area we not only have WF but, Food Lion and believe it or not WalMart supercenters have gluten free sections. Small,but present. It helps to have labels and UPCs of the GF items that you would like the store managers to consider carrying.

This is AWFUL!!! No wonder I couldn't get my GF bread mix this weekend! Now I'll ahve to go back to recipes and try to perfect one since I don't like the other brands of GF bread mix. I guess I don't really NEED bread, but it was nice to be able to sandwiches for my lunches.

I agree with the person who said to try "Pamela's"! That cornbread mix is fantatstic and the chocolate cake by Pamela's is as good as any non-gluten free cake mix out there. I have not tried any of Pamela's mixes that were not phenomenal. They are more expensive though.

Wow; I had no idea these mixes existed, and I am always in WF. I guess they didn't market them much... on the other hand I LOVE the GFP products WF makes and would be very, very disappointed if those went away...

Take heart, gluten-freebies! It's a short step to creating/finding a better blend of flours for all these products - you've already made huge changes to improve your health - you can do it! There's so many great recipes out there that trump WF any day. We buy in bulk (about 5 lb. each) from Bob's Red Mill, and cold store or freeze what we're not going to use. Doesn't take up much space, and I'd bet our blends are healthier.

I've never been able to try the WF GF mixes, they are always sold out when I'm there, that has to say something right? I've been wanting to try the bread mix because of the great reviews I've read. Oh well, I guess you can't miss anything you've never tried.

I have had the most wonderful results with Pamela's Pancake and baking mix. I use it in all of my old recipes and many of Pamela's. the scones, and sour cream coffeecake is to die for. The pancakes and waffles are just wonderful. No matter what I make with pamela's mix is delicious. My Grandkids that are not Gluten sensitive also love all of the baked goods. When I found Pamela's mix I started to bake again,because it is so easy. You don't have to use 20 ingredietns for every baked good. Try it you'll like it, and it is so much cheaper than buying the mixes. Also you can buy Pamela's baking flour and bread flour on Amazon. I am on auto ship every 6 months and get 3 large bags of the pancake and baking mix for $36.00 Free S&H

I travel 13 hour round trip to my doctor which is by the CLOSEST!!!! mind you Whole Foods store. I just found this brand and LOVED the muffin mix. I haven't found a muffin mix nor making my own that is comparable!!! Where can we complain and vouch that this is a necessary brand to have on the market?

We are so sorry for not jumping in here earlier to provide more accurate information. While it is true that you won’t find Gluten Free Baking Mixes labeled with our 365 brand name, we are transitioning back to the Gluten Free Pantry products that were moved out to make room for the 365 versions. We have worked with the folks at Gluten Free Pantry to deliver the same products at the same size and retail. This is really a label transition and not a discontinuation. You will still have access to the great taste you enjoy today with these gluten free products. We know that the products we sell fill a unique need for gluten-free customers and we are truly sorry we didn’t get out in front of this and explain better earlier. If you have any further questions about this, please feel free to send them to customer.questions@wholefoods.com and we’ll get some answers for you. Thanks for understanding.

This is really upsetting to read! I'm an avid baker and these are by far the best tasting mixes on the market (in addition to being one of the most affordable) and the only mixes that I use.Does anyone know if it's possible to buy out whatever is stock is left?

I was sooo disappointed when I went to WF to stock up. My children eat their bread mix every week, and their brownies were better than "regular" ones. They were also priced better. It's hard to find GOOD-tasting, affordable gluten free foods. I can get gluten free pantry at my local grocery store. Now, I don't have a reason to go to WF. By the way WF, I spent alot of extra money buying other things when I went for the bread mix. Now, those sales will be lost as well.

I'm unhappy because I can no longer buy the GFP item 'coffee cake mix' It was so tasty that I could serve it to company as well as enjoying it myslef. WHY oh WHY did they discontinue this product when they changed their packaging? Barbara

I used the 365 Pizza Mix to make my bread - it came out exactly the same as the GFP pizza/French bread that I used to use. 365 price was better but they are the same product - just a different name - pizza vs. pizza/ French bread. Sorry to see the better priced product go.I quickly bought up all WF had on the shelf! Only problem I had was yeast packets left out of several boxes!

Sad to see any good gluten free products taken off shelves - it is hard enough to shop these days! Just when you find a product you like, they discontinue it or don't stock it. The "lack of interest in the product line" may just be because there are less celiacs around than normal guts and therefore not a lot of buyers. Frustrating!!

The Last time I went to whole foods I stocked up on the 365 brownie mix because its the one that I could find that tastes closest to the real thing I went back to see what else the brand had to offer and not only did they not have the brownie mix I was in love with, the were completely gone and googling it brought me here!! I am extremely disappointed and in utter shock that I can't get it again and I have to search for new mixes!!!

There is too much salt and sugar in Pamela's for low sodium or less white sugar diets that are also gluten free.Of all the GF mixes I have tried, 365 was the best tasting and the lowest sodium, and I have used Bob's, Pamela's and others.365 was often sold out in our local stores, so it is hard to understand the lack of interest claims.This confirms the other ways WF is becoming just becoming a higher priced Trader Joe's. Shame on you as this was a product meeting a medical need not taste or whim. People with few choices just got fewer. I now have fewer reasons to go to HIGH FOODS. 365 was one of my main reasons...